It’s time to reflect on the reason so many homes are demolished

Opinion: April 17, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

We should all welcome the grants that will allocate $7.5 million to demolish at least 300 abandoned and run-down houses in Trumbull and Mahoning counties; however, we cannot forget one of the key elements that led the Mahoning Valley and much of the country into such disrepair.

During the housing boom period, lenders were passing out ridiculously structured loans and once the recession hit, it became nearly impossible for many to deal with the terms when their homes lost value and variable rates increased.

While I am pleased to see that the focus will be in Youngstown and Warren, both hard-hit areas that are in need of any type of uplift, I can’t help but think that at one point these were people’s homes.

While celebrating the beginnings of a fresh start in run-down areas, we need to reflect on the decisions that led us here in the first place, and the true cost to many families in the area.

Hopefully this will be a learning experience to those who still live in the areas that attempts are being made to be made to revitalize.

Both large and small lending agencies made a lot of money during the real-estate boom, but of the 300-plus houses on the chopping block I would be curious to find out how many of those were once the victim of a less than favorable loan.

The average person will never know the answer, but I encourage people to take a moment to reflect on what has been lost as we look to the future to rebuild.

Anthony Potts, Warren